Blog Post

HYC Nairobi: The Call For Kenya

Hope Worldwide • Aug 17, 2016

Emma Fridley recalls her incredible experience in HYC Kenya!

I am no stranger to HOPE Youth Corps. In fact, Kenya was my fifth HYC. I’ve devoted many summers to volunteering and community service- it is my passion and my call as a disciple. I never see Jesus more than in the eyes of a child in a hospital, a woman in need, a group of young men and women flying across the world in order to serve a nation not their own. It is for this reason that I make every effort and spend every dime I have on participating in programs that will give me these opportunities. But with all my experiences, I have never seen or done anything like HYC Kenya 2016.My dream to go to Kenya started in 2009, when my two older siblings went for a Youth Corps of their own. They came back utterly changed. It was all they could talk about for months! I yearned to understand what it was they had experienced. However, I was 12 at the time, so I needed to wait just a few years before I could leave the country on my own. Flash forward to Fall 2015 when I was finally old enough to apply to an international Youth Corps, and you can bet the first thing on my mind was Kenya. But I figured I’d at least give the other places a glance too. All of them sounded incredible, but in my heart I felt the call for Kenya. When I saw that we’d be serving at Kenyatta National Hospital in the pediatric cancer ward, I filled out my application without another thought. I could not believe that God had not only put it on my heart to pursue a medical career, but had presented me with an opportunity to go to a country I had always wanted to visit in order to serve children with cancer! Add on top of that that I had just accepted a job at a cancer consulting company, and you had a recipe for destiny.

It was everything I had hoped it to be, and more. I had never been with such a dynamic group- the youngest of us was 15, the oldest 41- yet not for a second did it feel “weird” or awkward. It was so obvious that God had called each of us there; trying to imagine the group with any one of us missing was impossible. The disciples from Nairobi made us feel like family almost immediately. Any “culture shock” was absorbed by their warmth and love- we were all Kenyans. This was even more visible at church service on Sunday. I was even more in awe that no matter what nation, culture, language, or generation we were all apart of, we all worshipped the same Jesus. And he made himself so visible throughout the trip.

I could go on for pages describing where we went, what we did, who we met, what it felt like, and how much I miss it all, but I’ll do my best to keep it succinct. My favorite thing about Jesus is how he spent so much time loving individuals, and my favorite part of any trip is the experiences I have with individual people, so that’s what I’ll talk about. On this trip, two women stole my heart. First, there was Joyce. A fierce and beautiful woman, Joyce lives in Makindu where we built houses out of mud and rock. As soon as we stepped off the bus, she wanted “pi-tures with Muzungu” (Muzungu being a white person, aka me). She was so confident, so fun, so strong, it was easy to see why she was the leader of the village. She started off our time with a prayer that I couldn’t understand, but the passion and devotion in her voice was impossible to miss. As we worked, she and the other women made us tea, stew, and chapatti (my mouth is watering just thinking about it) and kept us entertained. Actually, I should say we kept them entertained. A bunch of Muzungus coated in dust trying to learn how to make mud to build a goat house is quite a sight. But we felt their love for us, and we felt so much love for them. A few days later, when it was time to leave for Nairobi, Joyce was the one I knew I would miss the most. The HYC shared our experiences, and the village women shared how we had impacted them. Joyce, of course, was the first to share. Once she finished, she grabbed me by the arm, pulled me to her seat, and told me she wanted to give me something. She searched through her purse, trying to find something to give me, and handed me a blue papermate pen. A pen has never meant so much to me in my life, and it was a moment I will never forget. I hastily removed my necklace and put it around her neck, trying (and failing) to give her something that could match her gift. But Joyce wasn’t done. She grabbed me, wrapped her scarf around me, and made us take a picture (she’s a big fan of pictures). Afterwards, she looked at me and asked, “Do you know what this means? It means I am adopting you. You are my daughter now.” She then gave me her scarf. I brought it home with me, and I refuse to wash it. It smells like Kenya; it smells like Joyce. She gave me so much in the so short time that I was with her.

The second woman isn’t actually a woman- it’s a girl. Sharon, a 5 year old, who has been battling retinoblastoma for 2 years. When I met her, she had lost her right eye to cancer. Unlike the other children in the eye ward at Kenyatta Hospital, she did not have a fake replacement eye, but rather an empty lid. And she is the most beautiful girl in the whole world. On Day 1, she was reserved, shy, and definitely did not want to play with me; in fact, she could barely look at me. Her mother spoke broken English and told me that she wasn’t eating very much. Since there were few other kids in the ward at the time, and not many others spoke English, I decided to stick with Sharon and see if I could get a smile out of her. After much tickling, food “airplanes,” and silly faces, Sharon was giggling and eating and sassing me in Swahili. However, as soon as we joined up with the other children and started group songs of “Father Abraham” and “Baby Shark,” she shut down again. But we still had a few days left to bring her out of her shell, so on Day 2, I bee-lined for her again. It took a few moments for her to recognize me, but as soon as she did we were back to tickling and giggling. Her joy didn’t fade even when we joined up with the group. She ran around, threw a ball over and over again, sang all the group songs, played with the other kids, and tickled me while I screamed and ran away. I felt like a proud older sister watching her grow confident. But Day 3 brought our time at the hospital to an end. We gave everything we had left on that last day, and when it was time to leave, I could hardly look at Sharon without my heart aching. Every time I said goodbye and tried to walk away, she would come chasing after me, only to run away giggling again, trying to keep our game going. Eventually, though, I gave her one last hug and left. I knew she was leaving the hospital as cancer-free a few days later, which made me happy, but I also knew I would probably never see her again, which made me sad. She has a hard life ahead of her- weird looks, whispers behind her back, questions about her missing eye- and I doubt she’ll even remember me in a few years. But what I love about Youth Corps, or any form of service, it’s not really about whether my actions will be remembered. It’s about how I made people feel in the short time I was with them. I hope, I pray, that Sharon will remember how breathtakingly beautiful she is to me. I hope I made her feel confident in who she is, and that she keeps her sassy nature as she grows into a woman.

I can’t describe in enough detail everything that happened in my two weeks in Kenya, but my time there was beautiful and special and meaningful in every moment. I miss the place, the people, and the experience so dearly, and I will count down the days until I can see my beloved Kenya again.

23 Feb, 2024
For the past two years, HOPE worldwide has been actively involved in providing aid and support to the people of Ukraine amidst the ongoing humanitarian disaster where thousands of our brothers and sisters faced an unprecedented crisis. The situation has demanded urgent action, and with the help of generous donors and dedicated volunteers, many lives have been saved and significant milestones have been achieved. Let's take a look back at the journey:
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As the year draws to a close, HOPE worldwide would like to honor and acknowledge many years of leadership provided by Nadine Templer, Senior Director of International Volunteer Programs.
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Dear HOPE worldwide Community, First and foremost, let me express my heartfelt gratitude for the warm welcome you have extended to me as the new CEO of HOPE worldwide . It is both an honor and a privilege to be entrusted with this leadership role, and I am excited to embark on this journey with each and every one of you. As I reflect on my life's journey, I am reminded of a pivotal moment that shaped the very essence of who I am today. Losing my mother tragically at the tender age of four taught me the harsh reality of impermanence, of how someone could be there one moment and gone the next. At such a young age, I did not fully understand the concept of death, but what I did understand was the importance of living. James 4:13-15 holds a profound truth that resonates deeply within me: “ Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that.’” Our time on this earth is fleeting, and the realization of this truth was the spark that awakened a desire in me to truly live and embrace every moment with purpose and passion. I have found my purpose, my calling, in the mission of HOPE worldwide. The work we do here, touching lives and making an impact by loving our neighbors, allows me to live my passion.
24 Jul, 2023
The HOPE worldwide Board of Directors is excited to announce the appointment of Dr. Ben Barnett to the role of CEO and President of HOPE worldwide
27 Jun, 2023
PRESS RELEASE June 27, 2023 HOPE worldwide , a leading non-profit organization dedicated to providing sustainable, high-impact, community-based services, including critical healthcare services, disaster relief, and education, to underserved communities globally, is proud to announce the recognition received by the Lawes Road Clinic in Papua New Guinea during a recent visit by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken . This visit highlighted the impactful work carried out by HOPE worldwide global network member, HOPE worldwide Papua New Guinea (PNG), in collaboration with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) as part of the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), the U.S. government’s largest effort to combat HIV. During his visit to Papua New Guinea, Secretary Blinken had the opportunity to tour HOPE worldwide PNG’s Lawes Road Clinic, which is led by HOPE worldwide PNG Country Director Priscilla Sine Mal, and witness firsthand the incredible efforts undertaken by the dedicated team. The clinic's commitment to improving the lives of the local community in various areas, including HIV prevention and treatment, and treatment for victims of violence against women deeply impressed Secretary Blinken. In his remarks, Secretary Blinken expressed his admiration for the clinic's work, stating, "This was a real privilege to be here at the Lawes Road clinic where quite literally our partners are saving lives, changing lives, every single day." The visit showcased the significant impact of HOPE worldwide Papua New Guinea’s clinic on the region, highlighting its vital role in providing essential healthcare services to those most in need and who often have the most difficult time getting treatment, in part due to the social stigma often associated with their conditions. The Lawes Road Clinic operates under the auspices of the Presidential Emergency Plan For HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), funded through USAID and implemented in collaboration with FHI 360 and HOPE worldwide . The clinic has been instrumental in providing critical care, support, and testing for HIV/AIDS patients in Papua New Guinea, contributing to the nationwide efforts to combat the disease. This year, PEPFAR celebrates its 20th anniversary, and its 17th year of implementation in Papua New Guinea. HOPE worldwide is honored by the recognition bestowed upon HOPE worldwide Papua New Guinea and the Lawes Road Clinic by Secretary Blinken and remains committed to its mission of transforming communities and improving lives through local, volunteer-based initiatives. With the continuous support of partners like USAID and the unwavering dedication of its teams on the ground, HOPE worldwide and its global network of members like HOPE worldwide PNG strive to create a healthier, more resilient future for all.
UKRAINE RELIEF
By HOPE worldwide 14 Mar, 2023
HOPE worldwide is actively assessing the situation to prepare aid and recovery assistance for the many families affected by the current crisis in Ukraine.
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